Who's reading of history is faulty?

Unlike the author of the letter titled “A faulty reading of history” in the Feb. 17 edition, I am no fan of Brahma Chellaney. However, what Chellaney was writing about this time is something most Indians feel strongly about, and many Indian and British historians have written extensively about this topic in recent times. Such comments, seen through the eyes of people from those regions most affected because of British rule, seem cruel and make us wonder whether even in the age of Brexit the letter writer is still wallowing in nostalgia for the Raj.

Cruelty cannot be compared. All atrocities are bad. Period. There’s no point in trying to prove that the British Raj wasn’t as bad as Hitler’s regime. What the letter writer is trying to say is, Hitler killed people in a more barbaric way, while the British killed people in a more “benevolent” way. That argument is flawed.

RAJDEEP SETH

GAMAGORI, AICHI PREFECTURE

The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer’s own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.